NRC signs off on volcanic risk report for TerraPower’s Natrium project
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has notified TerraPower that the company has delivered enough information on volcanic risk activity around its proposed small modular reactor project in Kemmemer, Wyo., to satisfy the federal review process.
The commission issued its final safety evaluation, pointing to the topical report on potential volcanic hazards around the site as “acceptable for referencing in licensing actions” for the Natrium SMR facility, according to a September 6 NRC letter to TerraPower.
“TerraPower is pleased with the NRC’s acceptance of the topical report that analyzed the potential volcanic hazards near the Natrium site. We look forward to continuing to work with the NRC through the regulatory process of bringing the Natrium reactor to market,” said a spokesperson from TerraPower.
Background: TerraPower hopes to deploy in Wyoming a first-of-its-kind commercial advanced reactor, which uses liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water. According to the company, its Natrium reactor features improved fuel utilization, enhanced safety features, and a streamlined plant layout that will reduce the overall amount of materials needed to construct the plant.
Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 would operate as a 345-MW sodium-cooled reactor in conjunction with molten salt–based energy storage. The storage technology would enable the plant’s output to be boosted to 500 MWe—enough energy to power 400,000 homes—for more than five and a half hours to meet additional grid demand when needed.
Natrium is one of two demonstration projects selected for competitive funding through the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. (X-energy’s Xe-100 is the other.)
TerraPower received $1.6 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden in November 2022. The Bill Gates–backed company has also raised more than $1 billion in private funding.
The context: At a July 16 public hearing on the Natrium project, the NRC heard comments and concerns from some community members about the impact of the plant. Among those who attended was Kemmerer resident Marshal Corwin, who raised concern about a volcano located about four hours north of the project site. “Barring any accident [happening], the consequences could be world changing,” he told NRC staff.
The commission conducted an audit of TerraPower’s topical report on potential volcanic hazards at the proposed site from September 11 to October 19, 2023. The NRC concluded that TerraPower has appropriately described the level of volcanic activity risk, and the company can use it to calculate design considerations and mitigations as needed.
What’s next? The NRC said that TerraPower just needs to complete two final administrative steps in this process. The company must publish an approved version of the topical report within three months, which the NRC will then review.
